Draft-clevi s



(No Model.)

T. H.0HENEY.

DRAFT GLBVIS.

No; 298,947. Patented May 20, 1884.

INENTOR WITNESSES In I @v I BY I ATTORNEYS.

lUNITE arena DRAFT CLEViSL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,947, dated May 20, 1884. Application filed September 22, 1883.- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Fos'rnn IIALLn'r CHE- NEY, of Beaver City, in the county of Furnas and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Draft-Glevises, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improvement shown as applied to a wagon-gearing, the double-tree being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same shown open. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the improvement. clevis for connecting a double-tree and whiflletree. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of the improvement. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the forward part of the inner clevis, the connecting-bolts being shown in section.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the attachment of draft-animals to the draft, and their detachment therefrom, and also to promote security and reliability in the use of draft-clevises.

The invention consists in a draft-clevis constructed with a wide outer clevis connected the accompanying with the body-frame of a wagon by bars or springs, with the running-gear by rods or chains, and with the double-tree by a wide inner clevis and a separable pin. With the bolt connecting the outer and inner clevises is connected a spring to bear against the forward edge of the double-tree, to protect the doubletree at this its weak place when subjected to a greater strain than it can bear unprotected, and also to clamp the double-tree securely from slipping in its clevis. \Vith the outer clevis is connected a hinged catch, and a lever provided with a projection and a toe, whereby the said clevis will be held securely when closed and be readily released. The locking and unlocking lever is held from accidental movement by a springcatch and flanges attached to the upper arm of the outer clevis, as will be hereinafter fully described.

A represents a spring B, the body-fran1e, and O the tongue of an ordinary wagon.

To the tongue 0, or to the forward part of Fig. 4. is a plan view of a the bod y-frame B, are secured, by bolts, clamps,

or other suitable means, the upper ends of two springs, D, which are curved downward and rearward, and are hinged at their lower ends to a bolt, E.

To the bolt E is also hinged the upper arm of a wide flat clevis, F, which is attached at its bend to draft rods G or chains H, connected with the forward axle, or some other suitable part of the wagongearing.

In the arms of the clevis F, near their ends, are formed holes to receive the bolt I, which also passes through holes in the ends of the arms of the U strap or clevis J, which passes around the double-tree K or other draft-bar. The bolt I has screw-threads upon its ends to receive the flat nuts I, so that the double-tree can be securely clamped within the clevis J by tightening the said nuts I The nuts I can also be screwed down to tighten the clevis J upon the double tree K should the wood shrink.

The belt I may be replaced by a loose pin,as shown in Fig. 5, in which case it should be held from jarring out by a light spring-catch, I, or other suitable means, and should have a cord, R, attached to its upper end and extended to the forward part of the wagon-body, so that the said pin can be readily withdrawn, when not under a too severe draft-strain, by the driver to detach the team. If desired, the clevis F can be made with a hinge at its bend, as shown at the point Lin Figs. 1, 2, and 8, in which case the ends of the said belt I project sufficiently to pass through the arms of the clevis F. In this case a catch, M, is hinged to the end of the lower arm of the clevis F, to en gage with an upward bend or projection, N, formed upon the hinged end of the lever O, which is hinged to the bolt E, or other suitable support connected with the end of the upper arm of the clevis F. The bolt-hole through the end of the lever O is elongated, as shown in Fig. 1, so that as the free end of the said lever is raised from the upper arm of the clevis F the projection N of the said lever will move closer to the bolt E and allow the catch M to become disengaged readily. The hinged end of the lever O is also provided with a toe, P, to press against the engaging end of the catch M when the free end of the said lever is raised, and push the said catch M off the projection N.

In the free end of the lever O is formed an eye, Q, to receive the end of a cord, R, which extends to the forward part of the wagon-body,

so that it can be readily operated by the driver to raise the said lever O and detach the team. The free end of the lever 0, when resting upon the upper arm of the clevis F, is held in place by a light spring-catch, S, the shank of which is attached to the upperarn'i of the clevis F.

Upon the side edges of the shank of the spring-catch S are formed flanges T, by which the lever O is held from lateral movement when resting upon the upper arm of the clevis F. If desired, the clevis F can be connected with the frame B or the tongue by spiral springs,

or by two bars, U, the lower ends of which are 'hinged to the said clevis F by the bolt E, and

their upper ends are hinged by a bolt, V, to a plate, XV, secured to the said frame or tongue by bolts or a clamp. In this case the rearward swing of the bars U is limited by aspring, X, formed upon or attached to the eye-plate \V, and which rests against the rear edge of one or both the said bars U.

Y is a spring interposed between the ends of the clevis or strap J, and having a socket, Z, in its center, through which the pin I passes to keep the said spring in place. The armsof the spring Y project and rest against the forward edge of the double-tree K,.s0 that when the draft is applied the spring Y will strengthen the middle part of the double-tree against the strain, and prevent the double-tree from being broken. The spring Y is held from slipping by two small flat-headed bolts, g, which pass through countersunk holes in the clevis J upon the opposite sides of the socket Z, as shown in Fig. 6. The double-tree K is designed to be clamped so closely by the clevis J that the said double-tree cannot slip in the said clevis. In case aloose pin, I, be used, the ends of the socket Z, or of a sleeve passing through the said socket, may pass through the holes in the ends of the clevis J, and may be headed down upon the outer side of the said clevis. The whiftletrees a are connected with the ends of the double-tree K by wide straps or clevises b 0, which pass around the said double-tree and whiffletree and have their ends overlapped. The overlapped ends of the straps b c are hinged to each other by a bolt or rivet, d, and the said straps are kept in place upon the said double-tree and whiffletree by pins e or other suitable means.

The strap 0 and whiftletrees a can be providedwith a spring, f, in the same manner as the double-tree K, to receive the last impulse of the draft, and in time to prevent the whiffletree from beingbroken.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A draft-clevis constructed substantially as herein shown and described, and consisting of a wide outer clevis connected with the bodyframe of a wagon by bars or springspvith the running-gear by rods or chains, and with the double-tree by a wide inner clevis and a bolt or pin, as set forth.

2. In a draft-clevis, the combination, with the supporting bars or springs D, the draw ro'ds or chains G H, and the double-tree K, of the outer clevis, F, the inner clevis, J, and the bolt or pin I, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said double-tree can be readily detached, as set forth.

'3. In a draft-clevis, the combination, with the outer clevis, F, the inner clevis, J, the connecting bolt or pin I, and the double-tree K, of the spring Y, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the double-tree will be protected from being brokenv and from slipping in its clevis, as set forth.

4. In a draftlevis, the combination, with the outer clevis, F, of the catch M andthe lever 0, having projection N and the toe P, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said clevis will be held securely when closed and can be readily released, as set forth.

5. In a draft-clevis, the combination, withthe outer clevis, F, and the locking and unlocking lever O, of the spring-catch S and the flanges T, substantially as herein shown and described, whereby the said lever will be held from accidental movement, as set forth.

FOSTER HALLET CHENEY.

Witnesses:

J AS. F. GILL,

EDWARD F. Srnanns. 

